


Vampire on Board

by GriffinWolf



Category: Sea Patrol (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Biting, Gen, Human/Vampire Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 18:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17586431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GriffinWolf/pseuds/GriffinWolf
Summary: The X could be scary, and that was no secret; the Nav, on the other hand, wasdownright dangerous.





	Vampire on Board

Spider had never been the sort of person to judge people on their looks. At least, he tried not to, and he knew that a pretty face could hide all sorts of nasty secrets. Sometimes, though, it was hard. He glanced across the bridge to where Nav sat at her console. Her shoulders were hunched as she stared at the radar, one hand tapping restlessly against the side of her chair. They were alone on the bridge together for the morning watch, the moonlight reflecting off the dark water outside. The red nav-lights made her eyes glow, and he nervously turned back to the front of the ship. No doubt they were doing the same thing to his eyes; he just couldn’t see it. But she was a good example of why it was never a good idea to judge people too quickly. She had that open face and friendly demeanour. She knew how to take a joke and how to boost morale.

Unlike the X, he thought sourly. She was straightforward, at least. Her severe expression and easy glare were a clear warning that she was a strict officer. She was fair, though – if you didn’t cross her.

Whereas the Nav…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the bridge door opening. He and Nav both glanced backwards to see Charge trudging up the stairs, covering a yawn.

“Maintenance is all good,” he said. “Port engine is back online, ma’am.”

Nav nodded. “Nice work, Charge. That’ll get us back to base on time tomorrow.”

“Good thing, too,” he said, fighting another yawn. “It’s been a long week. Now I’m for my rack.”

“Night Charge,” she replied, as his jaw stretched wide again. Spider couldn’t help but mimic the action and Nav smirked, apparently unaffected.

“Don’t you ever need sleep?” Charge asked her, looking grumpy.

“Not if I get my coffee,” she replied, and Spider grimaced to himself.

The X could be scary, and that was no secret; the Nav, on the other hand, was downright dangerous.

***

Bomber frowned as the rummaing in the fridge grew louder. Making breakfast for two dozen people was a difficult enough proposition; cranky officers in the galley made it much harder. She approached warily, watching as Nav fiddled with a Tupperware box containing several slim vials. They all appeared empty. Finally, she selected one, shaking it to reveal a few dark drops of liquid at the bottom. With an expression of dissatisfaction, she upended the vial over her coffee.

“Do you have to do that _here_?” Bomber asked, the complaint almost ritual by now.

Nav thrust the empty box back into the fridge, scowling as she sipped at her coffee. The lack of her usual rejoinder was a sign of her bad mood.

“Take your caffeine and go,” Bomber ordered. “C’mon, Nav, I can’t cook breakfast with you scowling at me.”

For a moment, Nav’s eyes brightened. “Any steak left?”

“Even if there was, I’m not cooking steak for breakfast,” said Bomber, rolling her eyes. She made a shooing gesture with her hands. “I can do bacon, if you give me twenty minutes.”

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Nav took another sip of her coffee and then swept out of the galley. Bomber sighed as she grabbed a box of eggs from the fridge. At least they’d be going home today.

***

“Nikki.”

“Hm?”

“Stop that.”

At Kate’s sharp instruction, Nav blinked in obvious confusion. “Stop what?”

And then her gaze slowly shifted, her eyes resting on the side of Kate’s neck. “That!” she protested. “I can see what you’re thinking from over here.”

“I’m not thinking anything,” Nav said, looking back down to her plate. All that remained of the bacon was a few crumbs. She bit into a slice of toast with obvious reluctance.

Kate grimaced. It had been a long time since they’d had such an extended time at sea, without even a chance to reprovision. “You’ve run out, haven’t you?” she asked, guessing the source of Nav’s aggravation.

Nav didn’t reply, but her gaze flickered to her empty coffee mug, expression unhappy.

“Just hang in there a few more hours,” Kate said sympathetically. “Then we’ll be back in port.”

“That doesn’t help me _now_ ,” Nav complained. She was close to pouting, and Kate rolled her eyes.

“Buck up,” she ordered. Nav’s shoulders straightened and she finished her toast with a little more alacrity. As Kate stood to take her empty plate back to the galley, Nav’s eyes followed the movement. “And stop looking at my neck!”

***

RO frowned at the printout from Navcom. This wasn’t good. It wasn’t good at all. A group of pirates had taken a woman hostage from her yacht, demanding a ransom from her terrified husband.

And Hammersley had to find them.

Which meant they wouldn’t be going home yet.

He just hoped he wouldn’t have to be the one to have to break it to the Nav.

***

Buffer found her in the wardroom, her stiff fingers curled like talons around a book. He didn’t need to be her friend to realise she was unhappy – anyone could have seen that. Not anyone could make her feel better, however.

“Hey, Nav,” he said, stepping in. She looked up, scowling. He held up an empty syringe and a blood test kit. “You won’t make it to tomorrow,” he said gently, enjoying the play of emotions on her face as she realised what he was offering. Desperation, hope, embarrassment, gratitude.

“I can’t ask you to –” she began.

“But I can offer,” he cut her off. “And I’d rather this than watch you snarling at the junior sailors.”

He could see her desire to refuse being overwhelmed by need, and held out the syringe, sitting at the table opposite her. Sighing, she took it. “Thanks, Buff.” He held out one arm, and she probed delicately at the crook of his elbow, screwing a fine needle into the end of the syringe. She had an excellent instinct for locating veins, and he barely felt the sting. It took only seconds for the syringe to fill, and then she withdrew the needle, pressing a cotton ball against the pinprick hole.

“Anytime, ma’am,” he said, smiling at the relief in her eyes.

***

Watching Buffer hold the cotton ball against his arm as he walked down the corridor, ET knew immediately what had happened. He kept his expression blank until they had passed, and then scowled to himself. He hadn’t meant to do it, but as he passed the open wardroom door, he found himself stepping inside, and closing it.

Nav looked up at his entrance, expression hard and questioning, and he couldn’t think of a thing to say. His gaze lowered, and he spotted the blood sample on the table. Despite the progression of their relationship over the past year, she had never so much as tasted his blood. He couldn’t help but wonder why.

“You could have asked _me,_ ” he said, realising as soon as he heard the words how petulant he sounded. She obviously thought so, too. She stood, stepping out from behind the table, and his eyes widened in appeal.

“I didn’t ask him,” she said sharply. “He offered.”

“I didn’t think I needed to offer,” he said, catching her gaze. “You should know I’m always yours.”

For an instant, she froze, and he began to smile. Then, with a single step, she was pushing him back against the door, her hands running through his hair, her breath hot on his chin, and he thought she was going to kiss him, until her lips slid down his jaw and her teeth latched onto his neck. His breath caught as she broke the skin, his eyes sliding closed. One arm automatically wrapped around her waist, pulling her body closer to his. For several long moments he held her like that, feeling her tongue moving against his skin, more intimate than any kiss he’d ever had.

Then she pulled away, and he automatically pressed his free hand against the two small holes in his neck, trying to regain his breath – and his composure.

“Happy now?” she asked, her tongue delicately running across her teeth.

His eyes were dark with arousal as he watched her. “Feel better?” he asked in reply.

The look in her eye was answer enough; she blinked slowly, a smile crawling across her face. The tension she had carried the last few days was fading before his eyes, her shoulders relaxing, her breath coming slower. Gingerly, she pulled his hand away from the bite, frowning as fresh blood began to leak out.

“You’ll need to get Swain to have a look at that,” she said, concerned.

“What?” He grabbed a hankerchief from his pocket, pressing it against the side of his neck. “Why would I need to do that?”

“Because that’s not going to clot, and I don’t want you bleeding out over the next twenty four hours.” She glanced in the mirror by the door, and he noticed a spot of blood on her lip. “Let me just wash.”

***

Swain didn’t say anything as he applied the coagulant gel to the side of ET’s neck. It wasn’t effective on large wounds, but for this would be ample – and there was a reason he kept some of it on hand. He then applied some disinfectant and a small patch. He waited until he was almost done before looking up at Nav, who was hovering in the doorway.

“It’s been quite a while,” he commented. “I thought you were trying to break the habit?”

Her expression was a careful mix of contrite and defensive. “He annoyed me.”

Swain looked at ET; he didn’t appear at all distressed by the situation. “Long patrol, huh?” he asked Nav. “Let’s hope it doesn’t take too long to find these pirates.”

He wondered if he was the only one to catch the sudden gleam in ET’s eye, that suggested he wouldn’t mind at all if it was another week before they were back at base.

***

Mike listened to Buffer’s report over the radio. They had captured the pirates, but there was no sign of their hostage; and she could be in serious danger. If she was being held somewhere, and no-one found her… he shuddered at the thought.

The pirates were being unsurprisingly obstinate. They were demanding their freedom in exchange for the woman’s location. Well, that was not going to happen.

“They don’t look like they’ll scare easy, sir,” reported Buffer. “I think they’d rather let her die.”

His fingers clenched on the radio, and his gaze automatically crossed the bridge, to where Nav sat. She looked up, sensing his attention, and nodded.

“I’m sending Nav over,” he said. “Let’s give them something to be scared of.”

***

She jumped on board the cruiser, her gaze immediately falling on the three pirates being guarded on the back deck. They all seemed a little confused at her arrival, and she let her gaze examine them carefully. The one on the right was heavily built, with a sneering expression and a growing bruise on his cheek. She recognised Buffer’s signature elbow. Typical tough guy.

“Him,” she said, and jerked her head towards the interior cabin. “Give me two minutes with him.”

Buffer grabbed the guy under the arm and hauled him to his feet, pushing him into the cabin. Nav followed, waiting until Buffer left before turning her attention to the pirate.

“You are going to tell me where Louise is,” she said politely.

He smirked. “And why would I do that?” he asked.

She tilted her head, leaning a little closer. Without saying a word, she let herself focus on the sound of his pulse, the steady sound of his heart pushing blood through his body. And slowly, her blue-green eyes paled, until the iris shone a clear white. She could hear his heartrate accelerating as he watched, alarmed. Then she lifted her top lip and snarled, her small fangs shining in the dark room.

“Because,” she added softly, her own pulse accelerating as she smelt his fear. “We were supposed to be back in port this morning, and I am too hungry to spend the rest of the week searching for her!”

Less than a minute later, she marched the shaking pirate back onto the deck, dropping him next to his comrades. “There’s a hideout a little further down the coast,” she announced. “Let’s go get her.”


End file.
